"Public hospitals must take the lead in creating a standard model for connecting data," said Seo Gil-jun, president of the National Medical Center.
In an interview with the Seoul Economic Daily on the 8th, Seo identified the establishment of an artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based hospital information system (HIS) as the key task for public healthcare innovation. The plan is to standardize medical data across public hospitals to improve continuity of care and lay the groundwork for reducing unnecessary medical utilization. The National Medical Center plans to conduct a pilot project with Seoul Medical Center to build an AI and cloud-based hospital information system by 2027.
"Some medical institutions currently share information through agreements, but once the platform is established, patient information sharing will become far more seamless," Seo said. "With patient consent, an environment will be created where test results, medication histories, and medical records can be utilized much more efficiently."
Once data integration begins in earnest, patient convenience is expected to improve significantly. Currently, patients who transfer to another hospital face the inconvenience of repeating CT scans, MRIs, and blood tests. Once the platform is built, results from tests already performed can be easily utilized. Unnecessary duplicate testing will decrease and continuity of care will improve. Positive effects are also expected for national health insurance finances.
Seo also suggested the possibility of long-term integration with the emergency medical system. The National Medical Center is reviewing plans to expand the AI-based HIS to 35 regional medical centers nationwide starting in 2028. "An environment where patient information and treatment details collected by 119 paramedics at the scene are relayed to hospitals in real time will also become possible in the future," he said. "Emergency rooms will be able to assess a patient's condition and prepare necessary treatments before the patient even arrives." This would make it possible to secure the so-called "golden time" for emergency care.
"Through digital transformation, we will build a foundation that allows the public to use medical services more conveniently," he added. "That way, patients can receive continuous care without repeating the same tests no matter which hospital they visit."
